1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to appliances and, more particularly, to an appliance that fits within a standard opening in cabinetry but that has a reduced capacity for efficient consumption of energy and other resources.
2. Description of Related Art
Appliances such as conventional dishwashers are known to include upper and lower racks mounted in a washing chamber. Each rack is typically supported on side walls of the dishwasher, with movement facilitated by rollers for sliding movement between an extended position wherein the rack is substantially outside of the washing chamber and a retracted position wherein the rack is substantially inside the washing chamber. The racks often have lattice structures adapted for holding objects such as dishes, plates, cups, pots, pans and other dishware, cookware, and food storage containers. The lattice structure also permits a washing fluid (e.g., water) to impinge on the objects for cleaning items in the rack.
These appliances accommodate a particular number of objects, often referred to as the capacity. While the capacity can vary across manufacturers and models, the maximum or optimal capacity (i.e., the largest number of objects) can be quantified as about 10 to 12 place settings of dishes and/or dishware. In certain applications such as households with 1 or 2 individuals, however, it is common that this capacity is rarely if ever met, thereby resulting in frequent operation of the appliance at less than the maximum and/or preferred capacity.
Alternatives to address low and reduced capacity applications include dish-drawer and narrow-type dishwashers. Dish-drawer dishwashers include one or more pull-out drawers having, for example, an upper pull-out drawer forming a first wash tub for washing dishware and a lower pull-out drawer forming a second wash tub that can be used to supplement the first wash tub. Known drawer-type wash tubs are mounted to extensible rails that are carried by or mounted to an enclosed cabinet. Like its conventional counterpart, the cabinet is positioned under a kitchen countertop adjacent cabinetry or other kitchen appliances such as within an opening that is about 600 mm (24 inches) wide as defined by industry standards.
Narrow-type dishwashers have a reduced width dimension, resulting in a dishwasher that is narrower than both the conventional dual-rack dishwasher and the drawer-type dishwasher. That is, whereas dual-rack dishwashers fit a prescribed opening with a width of about 600 mm (24 inches), narrow-type dishwashers have a width of only about 455 mm (18 inches). Components of this type of dishwasher such as the wash tub and the racks are reduced in size, effectively providing the look and feel of the dual-rack dishwasher but with the reduced capacity owing to the reduction in at least the width dimension of the appliance.
Nevertheless, while dishwashers of both the drawer-type and the narrow-type are configured with a reduced capacity, neither is necessarily a suitable alternative. Drawer-type dishwashers are inherently complex because each drawer is configured in stand-alone fashion to retain and dispense the washing fluid onto the object contained therein. This additional complexity can lead to issues with reliability, functionality, and overall operational efficiency. Narrow-type dishwashers, on the other hand, do not fit the prescribed opening (e.g., the 600 mm opening) that is standard and found in most cabinetry, e.g., cabinetry for use in new and existing kitchens. Thus to implement dishwashers of reduced width, and to maintain aesthetics and continuity of the cabinetry, requires custom and/or customizable cabinetry, which because of cost may deter widespread implementation of narrow dishwashers.
There is therefore a need for an appliance with reduced capacity, that is compatible with the prescribed opening in cabinetry, and that is constructed to avoid and ultimately reduce the complexity and cost of the resulting appliance.